Lyrks
Lyrks
Lyrks
Cover Art

The Ballad of Charles Whitman Lyrics by Kinky Friedman

Sold American

1973

[Verse 1]
He was sitting up there for more than an hour
Way up there on the Texas tower
Shooting from the twenty-seventh floor
He didn’t choke or slash or slit them
Not our Charles Joseph Whitman
He won’t be an architect no more
[Bridge]
Got up that morning, calm and cool
He picked up his guns and went to school
All the while he smiled so sweetly
And it blew their minds completely
They’d never seen an Eagle Scout so cruel
[Verse 3]
Now won’t you think of the shame and degradation
For the school’s administration
He put on such a bold and brassy show
The Chancellor cried “it’s adolescent
And of course it’s most unpleasant
But I gotta admit it’s a lovely way to go”
[Bridge]
There was a rumour
About a tumour
Nestled at the base of his brain
He was sitting up there with his .36 magnum
Laughing wildly as he bagged them
Who are we to say the boy’s insane?
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 4]
Now Charlie was awful disappointed
Else he thought he was anointed
To do a deed so lowdown and so mean
The students looked up from their classes
Had to stop and rub their glasses
Who’d believe he’d once been a marine?
[Bridge]
Now Charlie made the honour roll with ease
Most all of his grades was A’s and B’s
A real rip-snorting, trigger squeezer
Charlie proved a big crowd pleaser
Though he had been known to make a couple C’s
[Verse 5]
Some were dying, some were weepin’
Some were studying, some were sleepin’
Some were shouting, “Texas number one,"
Some were running, some were fallin’
Some were screaming, some were bawlin’
Some thought the revolution had begun
[Bridge]
The doctors tore his poor brain down
But not a snitch of illness could be found
Most folks couldn’t figure just a-why he did it
And them that could would not admit it
There's still a lot of Eagle Scouts around
Credits
Kinky Friedman

Kinky Friedman

About “The Ballad of Charles Whitman” by Kinky Friedman

Read the complete lyrics to "The Ballad of Charles Whitman" by Kinky Friedman from the album "Sold American" in 1973. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Country.

"The Ballad of Charles Whitman" is performed by Kinky Friedman. from the album "Sold American" in 1973 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The Ballad of Charles Whitman", explore more songs by Kinky Friedman using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Kinky Friedman · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"The Ballad of Charles Whitman" is credited to Kinky Friedman. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Ballad of Charles Whitman" appears on "Sold American" in 1973.

Visit the Kinky Friedman artist page at /artist/kinky-friedman for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.